Maryland looks to buses to loosen traffic-tied I-270
WASHINGTON — When Margie Weaver accepted a job in North Bethesda, she didn’t think much about driving 42 miles from her home in Unionville to her workplace — until a trip she thought would take her about 45 minutes took up to two and a half hours in traffic on Interstate 270. “When you add […]
Md. last in bicycle commuter spending
Maryland ranks dead last among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., in the amount of funding that it dedicates, per capita, for bicycle commuter projects, according to BikeGuard, a free online bike registry. Based on recently released census data, Maryland spends 45 cents per person annually for bike projects. Alaska spends the most per capita […]
Metro completes NTSB track safety recommendation
WASHINGTON — Metro says it has completed installation of a key rail safety enhancement recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board. The transit agency announced Tuesday that it has completed the installation of its 178th mainline guarded rail switch on the Metrorail system. The guards allow trains to move between tracks more safely, reducing the […]
Some love the new Intercounty Connector, but few use it
WASHINGTON — Since opening last year, the Intercounty Connector has provided thousands of Maryland motorists with their first direct, congestion-free drive between Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Gleeful drivers say the highway has cut up to a half-hour off their east-west trips between the busy commercial corridors of Interstates 95 and 270. But six months […]
Engineer pushes to create bike lanes in Salisbury
SALISBURY — If Matt Drew gets his wish, Salisbury might soon have bike lanes connecting the downtown area and the Salisbury University campus. Drew, executive vice president of AWB Engineers, said city roads are difficult, even dangerous, for cyclists to navigate and could see many improvements if the lanes were created. Drew said studies show […]
Montgomery Co. transit task force to push for property tax hike
ROCKVILLE — A task force is expected to argue that Montgomery County must raise property taxes to help pay for expanded bus transit. The task force was appointed by Democratic County Executive Isiah Leggett. For the past year, it’s been researching how to implement a network of express bus lanes across the traffic-choked county. The […]
Private firm to build toll lanes in Va. on I-95
McLEAN, Va. — After years of discussion and debate, Virginia has reached a nearly $1 billion deal with a private contractor to build high occupancy toll lanes on Interstate 95 in Northern Virginia that planners hope will improve one of the region’s worst traffic corridors. Under the deal announced Tuesday, private contractor Fluor-Transurban would finance […]
Transportation system almost back to normal
NEW YORK — There wasn’t a spare seat to be found on planes or buses Tuesday as travelers stranded by Hurricane Irene finally headed home. The nation’s transportation system was nearly back to normal, giving hope to vacationers looking for a trouble-free Labor Day getaway. While planes and buses were operating on near-normal schedules, throughout […]
Sewer break, signals delay MARC trains into DC
ROCKVILLE — A sewer line break between Rockville and Garrett Park and signal problems are causing delays for MARC riders on all Brunswick Line trains into Washington. The Maryland Transit Administration says all trains into Washington are expected to be delayed 30 minutes or more departing from the Barnesville station on Tuesday. Metro is honoring […]
State warns travelers of I-95 delays
Nearly 850,000 Marylanders are expected to travel at least 50 miles away from home over the Thanksgiving holiday, an 11.8 percent increase over last year, according to projections from AAA Mid-Atlantic. The extra drivers coupled with a handful of lane closures that won’t be lifted for the holiday, led the Maryland Transportation Authority to warn […]